Philippines arrests Egyptian man suspected of IS member

Fehim Lassoued, alias John Rasheed Lassoued, being held by Philippine soldiers as he is presented to the media (Photo: dzrhnews.com)

Hanoi (VNA) - Philippine police announced on February 19
that the country’s authorities have arrested an Egyptian man suspected of being
a member of the Islamic States (IS) extremist group.

Chief of the Philippine National Police Ronald Dela Rosa said Fehmi Lassoued
was arrested with a Philippine woman over the weekend inside his rented room at
an apartment in Malate, Manila.

Aside from the arrest of the two suspects, Dela Rosa said the Philippine
authorities also confiscated assorted firearms, ammunition, components for
improvised explosive device such as electronic circuits, resistors, capacitors,
batteries and pipe fittings.

He said Lassoued entered the Philippines in July 2016 with a fake
Tunisian passport, adding that both suspects were arrested following a tip from
foreign military and police counterparts.

The arrest of Lassoued and Salipada may have effectively thwarted
whatever hostile activities they were up to, Dela Rosa said.

An investigation is underway to determine the couple's involvement in
the international terror group, including possible involvement in the attack in
the southern Philippine city of Marawi in May last year, which triggered a
five-month firefight that killed more than 1,200 people.-VNA